


Facing Fears

by thefloralpeach



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: AU- 7 Years Instead of 27, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Happy Ending, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 13:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21209651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefloralpeach/pseuds/thefloralpeach
Summary: Richie tore his eyes from the monster, and turned his body to face Eddie with an intensity that the shorter boy wasn’t prepared for.“Richie, what are you doing?” Stan asked softly from beside him.“Facing my fucking fears!”--AKA It comes back in 7 years rather than 27 years, and has to fight a bunch of 20 year olds who are ready to face their fears





	Facing Fears

It was back.

Seven years after It had disappeared, and two years after most of the Losers left Derry, the murders and missing persons reports began again. A kid at a baseball game, another at a carnival, and possibly more. 

The memories of seven years ago had faded as the group moved, but the second each one received a call, everything came back. Seven different lives intertwined again.

And, seven different lives had to deal with This Shit again.

After meeting up, spending a night catching up, and discussing plans for a battle, they finally arrived at the site of their last battle- the Neibolt house. 

“Remember,” Mike started, “It’s going to prey on our fears. If we know these fears, and face them, we can beat It. If we don’t believe in It, then It can’t hurt us.” He looked over his friends, his eyes landing on Bill, who had inspired them the last time they had to walk into this house.

Entering the house was easier for some than before, but harder for others. Mike carried himself with a sort of sturdy determination, ready to end this. Bill held himself similarly at Mike’s side. 

Beverly shuddered as she walked through the door. She moved with caution, not fear. Ben was alongside her, though he was shakier, more uncertain. The last time they were there, he watched two of his dearest friends almost die. Bev's blank eyes as she floated had haunted him in his dreams for years.

Richie had been all jokes the first time he entered the Neibolt house; now, it wasn’t so funny. He knew the danger that lied here. But, he tried to do as Mike said and not be afraid. They’d almost beaten it once, as immature thirteen year olds. They most likely had a better chance now.

Stan and Eddie were the most nervous of the group. Nothing had shaken Stan as much as this had, fighting something that shouldn't exist, something outside the laws of the universe. He almost hadn't returned at all. And Eddie, who had never been more terrified in his life the first time, was absolutely not looking forward to being back.

It wasn’t long after all seven walked through the door that It’s tricks began.

* * *

They fought. They cowered. They protected each other. They protected themselves.

Richie found the bat he used to fight seven years ago.

Like last time, It read their fears. But, their fears had grown, had evolved. It wasn’t an easy task, to face them.

After navigating the house, the group of seven found their way to It’s lair, and followed Mike’s instruction on how to complete this ritual.

It didn’t work.

It didn’t kill the monster. It only spurred it on. It only increased everyone’s fear.

Instead of another trick, the monster itself appeared. It looked almost like it did seven years prior, only  _ huge _ this time, its massive size intimidating the group. It kept its clown face, but its body was completely inhuman- it had eight limbs, like a spider, each of which sporting a sharp claw at the end. This was nightmare material, no matter how old they were.

“Run!” Bill yelled, panic taking over.

This was supposed to work. This was supposed to end everything. Mike was muttering to himself, something about how the ritual was supposed to work if they believed in it, but the rest of the group was too busy running for their lives to care much. 

Beverly, noticing an exit, beckoned the group to follow as the monster began to chase them down. But, It was faster.

One of It’s claws slammed into the ground in front of her, forcing her to stop in her path. Immediately, she turned around, as did the rest of the group, but another claw blocked their path.

They were like sitting ducks, and the only sound in the room became maniacal laughter.

Mike’s gaze was focused on the ground. He was in shock, having believed so hard in his plan. The others must have had doubts. Now, he was doubting everything.

Eddie was backed against the wall, not even concerned about how filthy it might have been. His heart pounded, and he wished he had his inhaler.

Richie glanced between Eddie and the monster in front of them. He gripped the bat in his hand, but was hesitant to use it.

Stan’s eyes were wide, and he froze in place beside Bill. He was sure these were his final moments.

Bill darted his gaze around the space, trying to search for a way they could still escape.

Ben looked to his left, at his friends, then to Beverly. He wanted to fight, but he wasn’t sure how.

Beverly swallowed thickly, thinking on her feet.

_ If we don’t fear It, It can’t hurt us _ . 

Just like she had seven years ago, Beverly was the first of the group to take a stand. She stood up straight, clenching her fists, and yelled.

“I’m not scared of you!”

Her voice seemed to echo throughout the monster’s lair, and she effectively ended It’s cackling voice with one strong sentence.

It moved closer to her, a low growl under Its breath. It was slow, methodical, and wore a nasty smirk on its face.

“Oh?”

Beverly took a breath, her eyes not moving from the creature. 

“I’m. Not. Scared of you.” She repeated, accentuating each word.

Her voice was strong and sure. Everyone’s eyes were on her.

The creature’s smirk melted into an exaggerated frown. Beverly did not move, she did not back down. 

She decided she would not be afraid, and she knew that made her stronger than It was.

It must have sensed Beverly’s courage and strength. It moved quickly then, taking action; if the Losers weren’t going to fear It, then It would create something to fear. Suddenly, Its face morphed into that of Beverly’s abusive father that she had escaped years ago. 

“You  _ sure _ , Bevvy? You sure you don’t fear me? You sure you’re still not a scared little girl?”

_ That _ got her. She froze, and the others looked at her, maybe hoping she would fight back. But, it was clear by the look in her eyes that she was struck by the memories of her trauma.

“Why don’t I go get the belt, and we’ll have some fun?” It laughed, but the voice belonged to Beverly’s father. “And you can be my _scaaaared_ _little girl_ forever.”

The sound of Its terrifying laughter reverberated throughout the dark space, what could only be considered a sort of cave. With it, the fear in the other Losers rose as well.

It was Ben who interrupted Its plan.

“No! She’s not that, she’s brave! Braver than you!” He yelled. He picked up a rock on the ground, much like he had done with the rest of the group when challenging Bowers’ crew, and threw it with all his might at the monster in the middle of the cave. “She left that abusive asshole and now she has us! She has her  _ real _ family now!”

Beverly looked over at Ben, and her fearful expression seemed to meld away into determination. 

“I  _ said, _ I’m not scared of you!” She yelled, and followed Ben’s lead in picking up a rock. “ _ He _ was worse!” Bev threw what was in her hand, hitting the monster in front of her right in the face. It cowered back, hissing.

“So brave of you to defend her…” It spoke again, voice low and raspy. “Just a scared fat boy, who no one loves. Would it be so bad if  _ you _ just disappeared?” 

Mike and Bill exchanged a look, as the former had been right before. This monster read their fears again, and was preying on them one by one now. 

Bev narrowed her eyes, her fear having been replaced with anger. “Shut up!” She yelled, and threw another rock. Walking over to Ben, she took his hand and held it in her own. “I  _ do  _ have my real family now! And he’s part of it!”

Bev’s words gave Ben the confidence to speak up. “I’m not a lonely loser anymore! I’m a Loser with friends! And you’ll  _ never  _ know what that’s like!” He yelled back, with a bite that none of the others had ever heard before. He and Bev shared a look of something akin to triumph then- they hadn't beaten this monster, but they sure as hell were weakening it.

There was hope.

Richie stood back, bat in hand. Beside him, Eddie stood, his hands shaking. Being told not to be afraid seemed to only increase his fears. He held the metal spike that Bev handed to him earlier, and his grip on it was so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

The monster must have been unable to affect Ben and Beverly, as it turned to Mike next. Its head morphed into flames, though it was still clearly a face.

It was desperate for fear.

“What about you,  _ boy _ ? You’re scared of going down in flames? I could burn you alive right here, and nobody would care if you were gone!”

Mike knew this game better than anyone. He stood tall, facing the monster that was inching closer to him, ignoring the flames. Despite the heat, It had become considerably smaller since they first confronted It.

“They would care, they  _ do  _ care!” He yelled his own peace at It, and was met with a few affirmations of ‘yeah!’ from the others. “I’m not scared of you!” He said, strong and sure. The flames on the monster in front of him grew cold, and it was clear that they could not be effective without fear from Mike.

It kept going down the line, but the technique was clear. It got to Stan next, but before it could speak or even turn into the terrifying creature that Stan feared as a child, the boy straightened his back, standing tall. “Neither am I!” He yelled, mirroring Mike. Stan glared right into the eyes of the monster’s grotesque face, not backing down.

It became smaller.

Rather than going down the line, It skipped over Richie and Bill, landing on Eddie.

The smallest of the group, even after seven years.

“ _ You _ were always my favorite,” It spoke, voice dripping like poison. It’s face turned into something very familiar to Eddie- the leper.

Bill held his arm out, preventing Richie from moving forward or trying to jump in between the monster and Eddie. But, he hadn't moved anyway.

“Fuck you!” Eddie yelled, and Richie grinned.

“Come on,” It’s garbled voice continued, and coughed a few times for good measure. Eddie didn’t move back. “Don’t you miss me? And all of those diseeee _ eases _ I have for you?”

What had previously been spider-like limbs morphed into the slimy, lesion-ridden arms of the leper. It leaned back, beginning to hack, and the group all knew where this was heading.

Before It could vomit on Eddie  _ again _ , the boy let out a guttural, rage-filled scream, and kicked It’s face with all his might.

“There’s the spitfire I know,” Richie muttered under his breath.

The monster reeled back, transforming back into its base self. It sputtered a few times- a sign of weakness- and shrunk further. It was no longer a giant monster, but something shorter than some of the young adults standing in front of It.

“Bill…” It moved on. “Billy…” It’s voice melted unsettlingly into a familiar, soft tone. Georgie. The monster’s physical form shrunk back, giving the group space. It wasn’t clear whether it was part of the imitation, or if It was really being weakened that much.

“Billy… it’s your fault… you’ll never live it down…”

That might have affected him. Maybe. If he hadn't seen the dramatic decrease in size, if he hadn't seen all his friends stand up to It, and if he hadn't made peace. Maybe he would’ve felt scared, or guilty, or overwhelmed. But, he didn’t.

“No.” Bill said, his voice loud and stern like the others’ had been.

The creature came back into view then, still in its spider-esque form. It was still unsettling, but still shrinking.

“That was  _ your _ fault. Not mine. But I’m not scared of you, and neither are my friends.”

Bill’s friends took note that he didn’t stutter while he spoke. Bev, Ben, and Mike shot him proud smiles.

The irritance was clear on the clown’s face. It may have been creepy if it hadn't been losing. 

The group looked to Richie then; it was his turn to fight, his turn to face his fear. 

His fear…

Clowns, of course.

Richie grinned, putting on a familiar mask that he often wore in the face of fear.

“You’re not worth my time. You’re not even a good clown, I haven’t seen you make a balloon animal  _ once _ ! Why would I be scared of a clown that’s not even good?”

Richie was proud of his roast. It was a perfect rebuttal against the clown, which is what he was afraid of. Of course that’s what he was afraid of.

A grin broke out across the monster’s face.

That… was not the reaction anybody was hoping for.

As Its grin widened, Richie’s disappeared. The others were looking at each other, then the monster, confused at the sudden turn of events.

Hadn't they just been winning?

“Oh, Richie,” It growled. Richie’s face drained of color, and suddenly the monster was growing again. “Richie, Richie, Richie. We both know that’s not your  _ real _ fear.”

“What’s he t-t-talking about, Rich?” Bill muttered.

Richie’s heart dropped, and he froze where he stood.

“You have a secret!” The monster’s broken, gravelly voice sang. “A dirty, little, secret!”

“Richie, whatever it is, you have to face it!” Mike yelled to him.

“You can do it, Richie!” Ben added.

Everyone was looking at him.

Everyone’s eyes were on him.

Richie’s breaths were short. His stare was blank.

This was the first time any of the others had seen him speechless.

The monster in front of them cackled again, booming laughter filling the air. It crept closer, taunting. “Should I tell them? Oh boy, should I tell ‘em?” It asked in a horrifyingly uneven tone. One of It’s claws rose into the air, and landed right in front of Richie. He didn’t even jump.

“Shut the fuck up!” Eddie shrieked, and without thinking he shoved the spike he held right through the limb.

The creature retracted its impaled extremity, though the laughter continued. 

“Look at that! A knight in shining armor, ain’t he?” It taunted. “Wouldn’t want  _ him _ to know your  _ dirty _ little secret now, would ya?” It punctuated the sentence with another evil cackle. “Huh? Would ya?”

Eddie had managed to keep his weapon in his hand, pulling it out of the creature’s limb before it took the spike with it. He backed up, but was still in front of Richie, almost protectively. He looked back, locking eyes with him.

“Whatever it is, it’s okay Rich.”

The monster broke into its tormenting song again, its newfound confidence clear. It was loud, thunderous, and all-consuming. The bravery that the group had worked so hard to show seemed like it was waning.

“I~ know~ your seeeeeecret~ your dirty-”

“NO!” Richie interrupted the taunting song, effectively stopping it. 

The silence suddenly seemed more deafening. Richie took a breath, and looked up at the monster, who had grown taller from his fear. Gritting his teeth, Richie took a step forward.

“I’m sick of cowering! I’m sick of living in fear!” He yelled, feeling a sudden surge of determination. “And I’m  _ so fucking sick _ of that stupid song!”

“Careful Richie-” The monster began, but Richie wasn’t done.

“No! You shut up, you don’t control me anymore!” 

Richie tore his eyes from the monster, and turned his body to face Eddie with an intensity that the shorter boy wasn’t prepared for. 

“Richie, what are you doing?” Stan asked softly from beside him.

“Facing my  _ fucking _ fears!”

Eddie’s eyes were locked on Richie as he surged forward, closing the distance between them with only a few steps. 

“ _ I’m _ your fear?!”

“No- just, I’m sorry for this, okay?”

“Wh-"

Before Eddie can finish, Richie grabbed his shirt, pulling him close and kissing him. His nose bumped Eddie's, and his lips were chapped and gross, and it was sudden and nerve-wracking and Richie could feel his hands shaking.

And Eddie didn't pull away.

The rest of the group only stared- Bill and Mike wide-eyed in shock, Ben audibly gasping, and Bev and Stan almost grinning.

The monster sputtered, and laughed, but there was fear in its tone. 

"Ha! Ha! Ha ha ha!" It drew out its taunting. "Now everyone knows your dirty-"

Eddie pulled back, but not far, and shoved his hand out to flip the creature off.

" _ FUCK  _ you, and  _ FUCK  _ your stupid song!" He yelled. Suddenly, the monster became even smaller. "It's not  _ dirty _ , it's  _ love _ and that's something your bitch ass will  _ never _ have!" 

Bev cheered. "Damn right, Eds!" 

"You really mean that?" Richie asked, voice nearly a whisper.

"Later, Rich," Eddie responded, very aware of the threat still facing them. He punctuated his thought by taking Richie's hand, a silent way to make him sure of his feelings in the moment.

Together, they faced the weakened creature.

The group of Losers shared an unspoken understanding now. With their fears being faced, It had nothing to use against them anymore. And now, it was their turn to go on the offensive.

Mike was the first to take a step forward.

"You're  _ nothing _ ." He spat out.

The group took turns saying what needed to be said, using every way they knew how to make someone feel small. And it worked. The seven Losers watched its heart crumble into ash, finally killing It once and for all.

There wasn’t much time to celebrate, as the house began crumbling not long after. They all bolted to the exit, Beverly leading the way.

There was an eerie calm in the air after the Neibolt house finally fell. Each member of the group was panting, each catching their breaths from the adrenaline of everything.

The same question was on everyone’s mind. ‘ _ Did we really do it this time? _ ’ But, they were each too hesitant to ask it, unwilling to risk the answer being ‘no’. This time was more definitive anyway, and the air just  _ felt _ different.

“Everybody okay?” Bill asked.

It was a much better alternative to the first question.

“I have sewer all over me, but other than that I’m fuckin’ peachy,” Eddie answered, though it sounded more like a Richie response. 

Richie, instead of answering, promptly vomited on the ground. 

“Richie!” Several of them exclaimed. Eddie was the first at his side. Richie spent several moments bent over and retching before he stood back up, wiping his mouth. 

“I- I’m fine.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Me too,” Eddie agreed. “That clown-”

“Not that.” 

Richie looked pointedly at Eddie.

“Oh…”

After a moment, Bev was the one to break the awkward silence. She started walking away from the group, in a direction they all knew. 

“We’re all filthy. Bet we could use a dip in the quarry.”

One by one, the Losers followed her. Ben stuck by her side, and they conversed at the head of the group. Stan, Bill, and Mike followed in procession. Eddie and Richie didn’t move as the others left.

“Eds-”

“Rich-”

They spoke at the same time. Eddie gestured to let Richie go first.

“Eds, I’m real sorry- I know I shouldn’t have done that, but it would’ve kept toying with me if I didn’t, and- and it would’ve gotten bigger, I didn’t want- I didn’t want it to-”

“I get it, Rich. Can I go now?” 

Richie cleared his throat, glancing from Eddie to the ground. “Yeah, yeah go ‘head.”

“I meant what I said.” Eddie paused, as if he’d made his point, but Richie was still confused.

“What?”

Eddie took a deep breath before continuing, looking Richie in the eyes.

“I meant what I said, down there. After- after you… you know. I meant it when I said it was love.”

Richie’s breath caught in his throat, and he was sure Eddie could hear his heart beating.

“You did?”

“Yeah I did, dummy. That’s why I said it.”

Richie tore his eyes away from the ground to return Eddie’s gaze, still in disbelief.

“So- so then, you…”

Eddie rolled his eyes. His nerves were overtaken by his frustration then.

“Yeah, dumbass, I do. Since we were kids, to be honest…”

As if it all finally clicked in Richie’s brain, he smiled. Not a mask this time- this time, it was genuine. Then, he laughed. He laughed at the situation, at what he’d done, and at himself. And, Eddie laughed too.

“Oh my god. So, we’re just idiots then?” 

“Guess so.” 

Richie spent a few moments just  _ laughing _ . All this time, all this torment, all this anxiety and self-loathing, and none of it was grounded in truth. He finally brought himself to take a step closer to Eddie, grin still on his face.

“So… can I do it again?”

Eddie didn’t have to ask to know what Richie meant. He bit his lip around a smile, and nodded.

Richie didn’t waste his time, and this kiss was  _ so _ much better than the first.

He placed his hands on Eddie’s hips, holding him close, and he tilted his head so their lips would slide together perfectly. This time it was soft, gentle, filled with years worth of emotions from each of them. 

Eddie rested his hands on Richie’s chest, having time to relax into his touch now. They were still dirty, and Eddie didn’t forget that, but the fact that it was Richie made it bearable.

After a few moments, they pulled back from each other, taking time to silently look into each others’ eyes.

“C’mon, let’s get to the quarry. The quicker we get the sewer off of us, the quicker we can do more of that.” Eddie nodded in the direction that the rest of the Losers were walking.

Richie smiled again, so wide his lips began to hurt. 

“Sure. Wouldn’t want my Eddie Spaghetti feeling unclean, even though he just had a trash mouth on him.”

“Shut up, Rich. We can like, hold hands on the way or something.”

“Wow, already? Take me on a date first, Cassanova.”

“Oh my  _ god _ you are insufferable.”

The two fell into their normal, playful banter as they caught up with the rest of the group, holding hands the entire way.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this, and it all stemmed from a fun idea of Richie having to face his real fear down in the sewers. Decided on the 7 years instead of 27 years thing because... I wanted to and I can. And I like the possibility of a bright future for everyone, without 27 years of forgetting each other/being abused/being unhappy.
> 
> Please feel free to comment your thoughts/opinions!  
In case anyone's interested, [here's my tumblr](http://thefloralpeach.tumblr.com)  
too!


End file.
